To succeed in an engineering career, one must have the capacity to think through and solve problems in a timely and efficient manner. An engineer must be data savvy and demonstrate competence in the latest technology required for the job. The ability to communicate well both verbally and in writing is also a key engineering skill.
How to Get Engineering Employment
So what specific steps should you take when looking for engineer employment? The first step is to prepare your resume. Even though there are some general rules one must follow when creating a resume, the structure and expected content of a resume differs from one profession to another. Carry out research on the best way to write an engineer resume and consider having a professional assist you. You can make your resume more effective if it resonates with current industry recent trends. Include a cover letter to serve as a brief selling point of your skills and that introduces your resume.
When looking for engineering work, there is a wide variety of avenues you can pursue. One of these avenues is by looking in the papers, magazines, and journals for engineering vacancy advertisements.
The other is by networking with other professionals in the engineering field. Networking is important for the engineering career as it is through talking to other engineers that you will catch wind of firms that have vacancies for which you are well suited. Many companies avoid advertising every single open engineering vacancy as this is expensive both in the advertising itself and the manpower required for short listing. Firms prefer to hire new employees based on referrals from existing employees and this where networking ties in.
After you have researched and determined what companies require individuals with your engineering background, consult with your family, friends, neighbors, professors, and anyone you might know in the engineering field so they can provide leads on any engineering jobs in those companies. Joining and staying in touch with you university's alumni association can also help you network. You can find out what type of engineering work your former university colleagues do and the companies they work for. From this you can get a good feel of the companies that are an almost perfect fit for you.
Joining professional engineer societies in your locality is another great way to network locally. You can also meet other engineers by attending engineering conferences and seminars as well as enrolling for short professional training courses.
Tips
If you've just recently graduated from college you can visit your university's career center for assistance where there you can inquire about engineering jobs available on and off campus. The career centre can be a rich source of information on upcoming career and recruitment fairs in your locality. While attending fairs, you should dress formally in a manner that conveys your professionalism, awareness of the work environment and suitability for the job. Do not forget to carry several copies of your resume.
Even before you find an engineering vacancy it is a good idea to prepare yourself mentally for the interview way before hand. Engineering career interviews are known to be quite engaging as they may include a variety of assessment forms ranging from group assessments where interviewers check to see how well you function in a team, to technical tests. To prepare yourself well for the interview, take time to research the questions that are most frequently asked in such interviews and then think through the answers you would give.
You can also look for engineer employment by checking job websites on the internet. You can create an online profile where you can post your credentials for recruiters to look through. In addition, you can actively look for engineering work on the site. When it comes to engineering jobs, few job websites can compete with EngineeringCrossing.com which features thousands of listings. Sign up for a FREE trial today and be well on your way to a fulfilling engineering career!
